Yes, Monk SUCKS now. I've watched Monk between 1-4 times since the new character, Natalie, was brought on. The best show from the last season was when Adrian went back to his brother's house last Halloween.
Sharona was the perfect match for Monk. Monk is kooky, and Sharona kept him in his place. I'm sure the ratings have gone down, and I hope there have been talks about Sharona coming back.